Feed-water-regulating means.



No. 727,018. PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

- J. N. STEPHENS.

FEED WATER REG-HEATING MEANS.

.AYPLIOATIDN FILED In 27. 1902.

I0 IODEL.

WITNESSES: I NVENTOH- m: uonms PETERS co.. Pumoumo" wAswuCmN fu c..

UNITED STATES] Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. STEPHENS,.OF HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN.

FEED wAT ER-REG u LATIHNG M EANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 727,018, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed May 27, 1902. Serial No. 109,217. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN N. STEPHENS, residing at Houghton, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Feed-Water-Regulating Means, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of appliances for regulating the water-feed to boilers and the like and which include cut-0E mechanism automatically controlled by the varying water-lever within the boiler; and my saidinvention primarily seeks to provide a means for the purposes and of the kind stated of a very simple and economical construction, capable of being easily applied to any of the ordinary forms of boilers, and which operates in a convenient and effective manner.

In its generic nature my invention comprehends a reservoir yieldingly suspended at a suitable point adjacent the boiler for vertical movement governed by the rise and fall of the water within the boiler and joined with and forming a part of the water-conveying pipes or tubes and adapted by reason of its shiftable actions to cut out or in the watersupply for the boiler.

In its more subordinate features my invention consists in certain novel details of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of which will hereinafterbe fully explained, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating my invention as applied for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation illustrating the equalizing-reservoir positioned to provide for a water-feed to the boiler. Fig. 3 is 'a similar View, the equalizer being in a cut-off position. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the equalizing-reser- -voir, its suspension means, and the connections joining the inflow and discharge pipes therewith. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the controlling-valve for the inflow-pipe. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the controlling-valve for the offtake pipe that discharges into the boiler. Fig. 7 is a modification of the means for suspending the reservoir, hereinafter explained.

I11 the practical application of myinvention the same may be combiuedwith any type of boiler. In the drawings I have shown a simple form of vertical boiler with my improved Water-feed-regulating mechanism cooperatively joined therewith.

In the simplest construction the aforesaid regulating mechanism comprises a reservoir A, which I term the equalizing-reservoir, as its function is to equalize or maintain the water at a predetermined level within the boiler, and the same consists of a spherical body composed of an upper and alower section a a, respectively, each having a-flange a for conveniently joining the two, as shown.

The reservoir A is yieldingly suspended by suitable means in the plane of the water-level within the boiler and to rise and fall with the varying height of said water-level. In Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings the means shown consists of a counterbalance-weight 2, the suspending-cable of which passes over a pulley 3 and attached to a ring a on the reservoir A. Instead of using a pulley and counterweight it is manifest a coiled-spring hanger 3 (see Fig. 6) may be substituted, the normal tension of the spring being adjusted to raise the reservoir when it becomes lighter than said'spring tension.

5 designates the water feed or inlet pipe, the vertical member 5 of which terminates in an elbow valve-casing 6, in which is located a rocker-valve 6 The valve-6 as is best shown in Fig. 5, includes a hollow body; the outer portion of which terminates inan elbow 6 to receive the pipe-section 5 that joins with the pipe-section 5, that discharges into the top of the reservoir A.

' 7 designates the offtake-pipe, one end of which enters the reservoir A at the bottom thereof, while its other end, 7 joins with a I hollow elbow member 8, rockably held in the elbow-casing 9, with which the offtake pipesection 7 joins and which section discharges into the lower end of the boiler, it also having a check-valve 10 for preventing backflow. The member 8 is substantially of the same construction as valve 6, it differing only in the size of itsintake-opening, which is of sufficient transverse area not to entirely close 0d the flow of Water from the reservoir A to the boiler during any of its shifted positions, so that communication between said reservoir reservoir A to permit of the proper inflow and.

and the boiler will be continuously maintained.

To provide a suitable air-vent for the top of outflow of the fluid, the same is joined by a supplement or vent pipe with the boiler at a point above its water-level, and to provide for a free rise and fall of the reservoir without cutting out the air-vent the pipe has a fixedly-held member 11, made fast to the boiler and connected to the outer member 11 by an elbow-valve 11, similar in construction to the elbow 9, whereby to maintain open communication between the air-space within the boiler and the reservoir A at all times.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

Assuming the reservoirA to be in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the water-line to be at the height indicated by 00 :11, at this time the reservoir will be in a position to bring the valve 6 and elbow member 8 in position to maintain an uninterrupted flow of the water through the reservoirto the boiler. When the water in the boiler reaches the level indicated by y y, the weight of the water now collected in the reservoir will overbalance the counterweight or tension of the spring, if the latter is used, and in consequence cause the said reservoir to drop below the level y y, and in so doing turn the valve 6 to a cut-off position and shut 0d the feed of water to the boiler and by reason of the peculiar construction of the valve 8 still maintain communication with the boiler, and thereby provide for emptying the reservoir as the waterline in the boiler recedes to a predetermined point, and thereby permit the counterpoise devices lifting the reservoir back to the position shown in Fig. 1 and again open valve 6 to allow the water to pass through thelreservoir and discharge therefrom into the boiler.

I am aware that feed-water devices including a fluid -weighted means codperatively joined with valve devices for closing or opening the water-feed pipes to the boiler have heretofore been employed. Myinvention, so far as I know, differentiates from what has heretofore been done in this line in'the peculiar correlation of the water-holding shiftable reservoir, the intake and ofltake pipe sections, and the valves controlled by the movement of the reservoir and the pipe-sec tions joined therewith; and particularly the combination of the peculiar construction of the elbow-joint 8 and valve 6, the swinging pipe-sections, and the manner of connecting them with the reservoir.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a feed-water mechanism for boilers as described, a boiler, a balanced globular reservoir, an inflow pipe-section connected to the top of said reservoir, an outflow pipe-section connected to .the bottom thereof, a main feed pipe-section and a main olftake pipe-section, a supplemental pipe-section connecting the inflow and outflow sections to the feed and offtake sections respectivel ga ball-joint at the juncture of the oiftakepipe and its supplemental pipe-section, and a,valve-joint between the other supplemental pipe-section and feed-pipe, said supplemental pipe-sections being of the same length, whereby when the reservoir is raised or lowered, they will move together in thesame plane as set forth.

'2. In a feed-water mechanism for boilers as described, a boiler, a balanced globular reservoir, an inflow pipe-section connected to the top of said reservoir, an outflow pipe-section connected to the bottom of said reservoir, a main feed pipe-section and a main offtake pipe-section, a supplementalpipe-section connecting the inflow and outflow sections to the feed and offtake sections respectively, an elbow-valve connection between the main feed-pipe and its adjacent supplemental pipesection and the outflow pipe-section, said elbow-sections being disposed in the same vertical and horizontal plane, whereby the supplemental pipe-sections will move together and in the same plane, pipe connections between the reservoir and boiler for equalizing the air-pressure in the boiler and reservoir, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. A feed-water mechanism for boilers comprising in combination, a boiler, a reservoir, balancing means therefor, a main feed-pipe and a main ofltake pipe-section, an inflow and an outflow pipe-section, said inflow pipesection beingin communication with the top of said reservoir and extending down to a point in the same horizontal plane with the horizontal diameter plane of said reservoir, aball-joint at said point, asupplemental pipesection extending from the said ball-joint toward the main feed-pipe, a valve connection between said feed-pipe and said supplemental pipe-section, connections between the top of the reservoir and the boiler above the water-line, whereby the level of the water in the boiler is maintained at a constant level, all being arranged substantially as shown and described.

4. A feed-water mechanism for boilers comprising in combination, a boiler, a reservoir, balancing means therefor, a main feed-pipe and a main ofltake pipe-section, an inflow and an outflow pipe-section being in communication with the top of said reservoir and extending down to a point in the same horizon-.

tal plane with the horizontal diameter plane of said reservoir, a ball-joint at said point, a

supplemental pipe-section extending from' said ball-joint toward the main feed-pipe, a valve connection between said feed-pipe and said supplemental pipe-section, said outflow pipe-section extending up to a point in the same horizontal plane with the horizontal di ameter plane of said reservoir, a ball-joint at said point, a supplemental pipe-section extending from said last-named ball-joint toward the main oiftake pipe-section and a balljoint at thejunction of the supplemental pipesection and the main ofitake-pipe, a pipe connection between the top of the reservoir and the boiler, above the water-line, whereby the level of the water in the boiler is maintained at a constant level, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, a boiler, a counterbalanced globular reservoir, consisting of an upper and a lower section a a, a pulley 3, a rope taking around said pulley and having one end fixed to the upper section of said reservoir, a weight 2, attached to said rope at its farther end, an inflow and outflow pipe-section connected to said reservoir at the top and bottom respectively thereof, said inflow pipe-section extending down on one side and said outflow pipe-section extending up on the other side of said reservoir to points in the same vertical and horizontal plane, ball-joints at these points, a main feed and a main offtake pipesection, a pipe connection between the reservoir and the top of the boiler whereby the constant levelof the water in the boiler is maintained and whereby equal pressure in the boiler and reservoir is maintained, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

JOHN N. STEPHENS. Witnesses:

G. O. EDWARDS,

O. HJALMAR PRIMODIG. 

